plantain

[ plan-tin, -tn ]

/ ˈplæn tɪn, -tn /

Save This Word!

noun

a tropical plant, Musa paradisiaca, of the banana family, resembling the banana.

its fruit, eaten cooked as a staple food in tropical regions.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of plantain

1545–55; earlier pla(n)tan<Spanish plá(n)tano plantain, also plane tree <Medieval Latin pla(n)tanus,Latin platanusplane³

Words nearby plantain

planta, Plantae, Plantagenet, planta genista, plant agreement, plantain, plantain-eater, plantain lily, plantalgia, plantar, plantar arch

Other definitions for plantain (2 of 2)

plantain²

[ plan-tin, -tn ]

/ ˈplæn tɪn, -tn /

noun

any plant of the genus Plantago, especially P. major, a weed with large, spreading leaves close to the ground and long, slender spikes of small flowers.

Origin of plantain

1350–1400; Middle English plauntein<Old French plantein<Latin plantāgin- (stem of plantāgō), derivative of planta sole of the foot, literally, something flat and spread out, like the broad leaf of the plantain; akin to Greek platýsflat¹; see platy-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use plantain in a sentence

So, when I made it again, I reduced the number of plantains for the topping from four to three and added fresh garlic to the mash.
Mashed plantains top this thrifty, adaptable Caribbean cottage pie|Ann Maloney|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
This Navy Yard spot channels Puerto Rico through a relaxed, waterside vibe and lots of fried plantains and rum.
D.C.’s restaurant scene bustling again|Evan Caplan|July 13, 2021|Washington Blade
Tucking into a takeout box of green plantains, rice and seared tilapia, Mayorkas spoke of his parents.
Can One Agency Keep the U.S. Safe and Still Be Humane? The New DHS Chief Thinks So|Alana Abramson|May 12, 2021|Time
Other side dish options include fine-cut sauteed cabbage, dense and delicious fried plantains, and a creamed spinach any steakhouse would be happy to claim.
Swahili Village brings a taste of African fine dining to D.C.|Tom Sietsema|April 2, 2021|Washington Post

The guests’ favorites — like rice, beans and plantains — became staples in the kitchen.
A Maryland couple opened their home to a Honduran mother and son. They ended up sharing more than space.|Stephanie García|January 30, 2021|Washington Post
Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and garnish with a semi peeled baby plantain.
Lights, Camera, Cocktails|Brody Brown|August 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is a simple Puerto Rican cow's milk cheese called queso de hoja and it is wrapped in a plantain leaf.
A Little Latin Flavor|Sarah Whitman-Salkin|October 21, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Add plantain slices and fry for 15 minutes but do not brown.
Cuban Sandwich Casserole and "Mofongo" Turkey|The Daily Beast|December 23, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Crush a portion of the fried plantain slices and add the chopped turkey.
Cuban Sandwich Casserole and "Mofongo" Turkey|The Daily Beast|December 23, 2008|DAILY BEAST
The plant from which is made what is called Manila hemp belongs to the same family as the banana and the plantain.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
How, or when, or why the plant lost its old English names to take the Latin name of Plantain, it is hard to say.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe
But the Plantain did not long sustain its high reputation, which even in Shakespeare's time had become much diminished.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe
Alisma, al-iz′ma, n. a small genus of aquatic plants, the chief being the common water-plantain.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Though this plantain is inferior in quality to most of the others it affords great subsistence to the natives.
A Voyage to the South Sea|William Bligh

British Dictionary definitions for plantain (1 of 2)

plantain¹

/ (ˈplæntɪn) /

noun

any of various N temperate plants of the genus Plantago, esp P. major (great plantain), which has a rosette of broad leaves and a slender spike of small greenish flowers: family PlantaginaceaeSee also ribwort

Word Origin for plantain

C14 plauntein, from Old French plantein, from Latin plantāgō, from planta sole of the foot

British Dictionary definitions for plantain (2 of 2)

plantain²

/ (ˈplæntɪn) /

noun

a large tropical musaceous plant, Musa paradisiaca

the green-skinned banana-like fruit of this plant, eaten as a staple food in many tropical regions

Word Origin for plantain

C16: from Spanish platano plantain, plane tree

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012